Elastic facial exerciser

ABSTRACT

A specialized facial muscle exerciser including a handle and support device having elongated recesses on opposite side of the support device for receiving pivotal members. The support body portion includes semicircular recesses into which semicircular bearings on the pivotal members fit. An elastic band surrounds the two pivotal members, each having a portion designed to be received in the slots in the support body within the elastic band, and members which extend obliquely beyond the distal end of the support body, terminating in relatively broad, flat members adapted to comfortably receive the users lips. When the lip receiving portions are placed in the user&#39;&#39;s mouth and the muscles of the mouth are contracted to squeeze the members toward each other the opposite ends extend the elastic band, providing a resistive force to exercise the muscles. The pivotal body and the exterior of the support body are provided with ribbing to prevent the elastic band from slipping. The band can be moved longitudinally toward or away from the fulcrum to decrease or increase the effort needed to pivot the members.

tlnited States Patent [191 Welch 1 1 ELASTIC FACIAL EXERCISER [76] Inventor: .Ralph E. Welch, 914 Winthorne Dr., Apt. D-26, Nashville, Tenn. 37217 22 Filed: Feb. 21, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 334,438

[52] 11.8. CI 272/82, 272/DIG. 4, 128/62 A, 272/57 H [51] Int. Cl. A63b 23/00, A63b 21/00 [58] Field of Search 272/82, 83 R, 57 R, 68, 272/67, 79 D, 57 H; 128/136, 60, 62 A; 32/66 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,363,534 12/1920 Rogersm. 128/62 A 1,576,602 3/1926 Haims 272/68 3,497,216 2/1970 1 Feather 272/83 R 3,497,217 2/1970 Feather 272/83 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 204,211 12/1967 U.S.S.R 272/82 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-William R. Browne Attorney, Agent, or F irm- Roylance, Abrams,

Berdo & Kaul [57] ABSTRACT A specialized facial muscle exerciser including a handle and support device having elongated recesses on opposite side of the support device for receiving pivotal members. The support body portion includes semicircular recesses into which semicircular bearings on the pivotal members fit. An elastic band surrounds the two pivotal-members, each having a portion de signed to be received in the slots in the support body within the elastic band, and members which extend obliquely beyond the distal end of the support body, terminating in relatively broad, flat members adapted to comfortably receive the users lips. When the lip receiving portions are placed in the users mouth and the muscles of the mouth are contracted to squeeze the members toward each other the opposite ends extend the elastic band, providing a resistive force to exercise the muscles. The pivotal body and the exterior of the support body are provided with ribbing to prevent the elastic band from slipping. The band can be moved longitudinally toward or away from the fulcrum to decrease or increase the effort needed to pivot the members.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 ELASTIC FACIAL EXERCISER This invention relates to a specialized exercising device particularly designed for exercising facial muscles.

. It is recognized by those concerned with facial appearance and cosmetology that certain facial muscles are used relatively little and tend to become soft, permitting them to present a sagging and flabby appearance. However, due to the absence of any convenient technique for exercising these specific muscles, no solution to this problem has been found.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device by which certain facial muscles can be suitably exercised.

Another object is to provide a device which is relatively inexpensive, comfortable, easy and convenient to use and which is effective to provide suitable exercise for the specific desired muscles.

Yet another object is to provide a device which is usable to exercise the facial muscles and which is adjustable to permit selection of the degree of opposition to muscular motion provided by the device so that the amount of exercise is selectable in accordance with the needs and abilities of the individual user.

Broadly described, the invention includes handle means, support body means connected to the handle mean, the support body having recesses to at least partially receive pivotal members, and an elastic restraining member, each of the pivotal members having a portion engaging the elastic restraining member and a portion engageable by a part of the users mouth, the members being pivotal so that the mouth engaging portions thereof are forced toward each other in opposition to the restraining force provided by the restraining member whereby the muscles used to oppose the restraining member are exercised. The restraining member is adjustable to different points to engage lever portions of the pivotal member and to thereby alter the mechanical advantage of the system.

In order that the manner in which the foregoing and other objects are attained in accordance with the invention can be understood in detail, a particularly advantageous embodiment thereof will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an assembled apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device of FIG. I with a pivotal member removed therefrom;

FIG. 2a is a partial section along lines 2a2a of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of one of the pivotal members;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one of the pivotal members removed from the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a partial side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the manner of use.

As shown inFlG. l, the assembled device includes a handle portion which is substantially cylindrical and is conveniently molded to be hollow so as to render the device light in weight. Attached thereto, or integrally formed therewith, is a support body 11 which is approximately of the same length as the handle. Vertical serrations or ribs 12 are provided on the vertical side surfaces of the middle portion of the support body, to minimize the possibility of axial slippage of an elastic restraining band 13 which is placed around the midportion thereof.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the central portion of the support body includes two vertical side walls 14 and 15 which define a substantially rectangular cavity 16 which extends vertically throught the body. A brace member 17 extends between the two side walls. On the interior surface of wall 14 is an inwardly extending ledge or shelf 18 and a similar shelf 19 is provided on the inner surface of wall 15. Near brace 17 ledges l8 and 19 are provided with circular indentation 20 and 21, respectively. These journal indentations extend downwardly from the upper edges of the walls and identical indentations extend upwardly into the lower surfaces thereof. As can be seen in the partial section shown in FIG. 2a, ledge 18 is provided with an indention 20 into the upper portion thereof and an indentation 22 in the lower portion thereof, these being designed to receive pivotal members as will be described.

At the end of the support body near the handle a slanted surface 23 terminates the cavity. As will be recognized, all of the members thus far described can be integrally formed as by conventional plastic molding techniques to form a single article having the characteristics enumerated.

To complete the apparatus identical pivotal members indicated generally at 25 and 26 are placed in the recesses formed between side walls 14 and 15. One of these members 25, is shown in isolated detail in FIGS. 3 and 4 and will be seen to include a semicylindrical bearing portion 26, the outer surface of which forms a portion of a right circular cylinder and is designed to meet with and rotate, to a limited degree, in semicircular recesses 20 and 21. The mating member 26, is similarly designed to fit into journal recesses 22 and the opposite recess in member 19. Connected thereto is a first lever arm 27, the lower portion of which is smooth and is of width approximately equal to the interior distance between wall 14 and 15. The upper surface of lever portion 27 is provided with serrations 28 to provide a high-friction surface to prevent slippage of band 13. The distal end of arm 27 is beveled to mate with sloping surface 23, the angle between bevel 29 and surface 27 being the same 'as between incline 23 and the upper surfaces of ledges I8 and 19.

A lever arm 30 extends substantially tangentially from the cylinder forming bearing 26 and at an angle of approximately from arm 27. Formed integrally with and at the distal end of arm 30 is a mouth engaging portion 31 which has a concave upper surface and a convex lower surface and which is fan shaped in plane so as to provide a broad surface to engage the user's lips. The curvature is selected so that it is convenient to engage the mouth in its open and in partially closed positions.

It will be observed that the thickness of arm 27, measured to the upper portions of the serrations, is slightly greater than the distance between the upper limit of the support body and the upper surface of ledges l8 and 19; and also slightly greater than the equivalent dimension at the lower portion of the support body. Thus, the serrations 28 protrude above the upper surface of the body when the unit is assembled as illustrated in FIG. 1. The elastic retaining band 13 therefore engages the serrations when the unit is in the rest position shown in FIG. 1. Band 13 can be manually moved to any position between the axis of bearings 26 and the tip of arm 27, depending upon the restraining force desired, but once established at a position between those limits the serrations prevent inadvertent movement.

As shown in H6. 5, the device is used by moving band 13 to a desired location and placing the upper and lower lips against upper and lower mouth engaging portions 31 and moving the lips toward each other. Members 25 and 26 are then caused to pivot about the fulcrums formed by the axes of bearings 26, causing lever arms 27 to move away from each other, restrained by the elastic action of band 13. As previously suggested, the position of the band determines the mechanical advantage of the restraining force and can be adjusted depending upon the strength and age of the user and the degree of effort which one wishes to exert in each motion of the mouth.

As will be recognized, the main portion of the device including the handle and the body and the pivotal members can be made from a plastic material such as DELRlN (a thermoplastic acetal resin manufactured by E. l. du Pont de Nemours & Co.), nylon or any of several wellknown high impact plastics which are capable of being injection or pressure molded. Altematively, portions thereof can be constructed of metal. The only other apparatus is that of elastic band 13 which is conveniently made of a rubber of a surgical tubing nature.

It has been found that the effort and motion necessary to move the lever arm in the manner described, and doing so repeatedly, causes contraction of specific interior facial muscle around the nose, mouth, lips and chin, and also affects the secondary muscles under the eyes and along the jawline, causing these muscles to be tightened and that such action considerably improves the syntonic condition thereof.

While one advantageous embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A facial muscle exerciser comprising a support body;

first and second pivotal members spaced apart from each other and each member journalled for limited pivotal movement about substantially parallel axes in said body;

lip engaging means on said pivotal members for receiving and pressing against both lips of a user during a facial exercise in which the lips of a user are moved towards and away from each other; and

elastic restraining means surrounding said body and said pivotal members for resisting pivotal movements of said members, when the lip engaging means are moved toward each other by the action of the lips during a facial exercise.

2. An exerciser according to claim 1 wherein said support body includes first and second elongated recesses, each to receive a portion of one of said first and second members; and

semicircular recesses in each of said elongated recesses; and said pivotal members each including semicylindrical bearing means mating with said recesses,

the axis of each said bearing means forming a fulcrum about which its associated member rotates.

3. An exerciser according to claim 2 wherein said elastic restraining means comprises an elastic band,

said band being movable along said support body to adjust the resistive force provided thereby.

4. An exerciser according to claim 1 wherein each of said pivotal members comprises a cylindrical portion formed at one end of said first arm; and

a second arm extending from said cylindrical portion at an oblique angle from said first arm,

said lip engaging means comprising a fan shaped portion at the distal end of said second arm. 

1. A facial muscle exerciser comprising a support body; first and second pivotal members spaced apart from each other and each member journalled for limited pivotal movement about substantially parallel axes in said body; lip engaging means on said pivotal members for receiving and pressing against both lips of a user during a facial exercise in which the lips of a user are moved towards and away from each other; and elastic restraining means surrounding said body and said pivotal members for resisting pivotal movements of said members, when the lip engaging means are moved toward each other by the action of the lips during a facial exercise.
 2. An exerciser according to claim 1 wherein said support body includes first and second elongated recesses, each to receive a portion of one of said first and second members; and semicircular recesses in each of said elongated recesses; and said pivotal members each including semicylindrical bearing means mating with said recesses, the axis of each said bearing means forming a fulcrum about which its associated member rotates.
 3. An exerciser according to claim 2 wherein said elastic restraining means comprises an elastic band, said band being movable along said support body to adjust the resistive force provided thereby.
 4. An exerciser according to claim 1 wherein each of said pivotal members comprises a first arm; a cylindrical portion formed at one end of said first arm; and a second arm extending from said cylindrical portion at an oblique angle from said first arm, said lip engaging means comprising a fan shaped portion at the distal end of said second arm. 